introduction to the social dimension of education

Education is one of the major institutions that constitute society. Educational institutions take part on society in different aspects; such as on the people’s intellectual development, policies, economics and several other fields. There are various social science theories that relate to education –consensus, conflict, structural functionalist and interaction theories. Consensus is a concept in society in which there is a belief that the absence of conflict means the equilibrium state that is based upon widespread agreement by all of the members of the society itself. Conflict theory emphasizes that the order in society are based upon the manipulation and control by any dominant groups. Conflict theory ask how schools contribute to the unequal distribution of people into jobs in society so that more powerful members of society maintain the best positions and the less powerful are allocated to lower ranks in society. Structural functionalism is concerned with the functions of schooling in the maintenance of social order. It asserts the society is made up of different institutions or organizations that work together in cooperation to achieve orderly relationship and to maintain social order and social stability. Symbolic Interaction sees ourselves as an engrave elements in school forces and social structure. Thus, the social self is an active part of the society as a whole. Therefore symbolic interactionism deals with socialization and interaction of everyone which is the main care or social dynamic fundamentals. Symbolic interaction state that human beings are endowed with a capacity of thinking and is shape by social interaction that can be able to learn the meanings and the symbols that allow them to comprehend and interpret their actions and interactions.